CBU VC Tells Lecturers ‘I Was Appointed By Govt, Not You- I Wont Resign’

COPPERBELT University Vice Chancellor Professor Naison Ngoma says he will not resign from his position because he was appointed by government and not voted for by the university.

Briefing the press at his residence yesterday, Prof Ngoma said he could only resign from his position if the higher appointing authority (government) ordered him to leave the university.

“If you do not like me, do not go round throwing stones at me or insulting me for the law will get hold of you; use the proper procedure of getting rid of me or an individual such as voting them out but unfortunately for me, I wasn’t voted in as vice chancellor by the university but by the proper higher appointing authority and it is only that authority that can remove me from the position I hold,” Prof Ngoma said.

He said those who wanted him to leave should use a proper channel of airing out their grievances as he was ready and willing to work with them.

Prof Ngoma said during the lenten period celebrated by the Catholic Church, he was willing to discontinue all charges and suspensions given to some CBU workers for the sake of having peace at the university.

He said given the responsibility he had to run the university, he did not have the time to talk back at the aggrieved parties.

Prof Ngoma said the union leaders should apologise to management for urging workers to engage in a disruptive process.

He said management was not asking the union to back down from their demands but they should apologise to management for the sake of the students and the university’s well-being.

Prof Ngoma said everyone was affected by the disciplinary charges and the university was looking at a way it could ensure the charges were dropped.

“We are in the lenten period where everyone, including the President, should reflect about their own life for it is a period of forgiving each other and I have told my colleagues from top management that we have been given the responsibility to run the university, therefore, we do not have the luxury of calling out names and insulting back or doing things that are not progressive for the university. Instead, we should be humble enough to immediately drop all charges or disciplinary processes…but only on one account that those who were responsible for urging the members to be disruptive should come to management and apologise for being wrong,”